The Dashan Pagoda, also known as Yingtianta, is a seven-storey brick pagoda in the western part of Shaoxing's old city, built during the Five Dynasties period (907–960 CE) and extensively repaired in subsequent dynasties. The pagoda stands on a wooded hill — unusual in a city as flat as Shaoxing — and its brick and stone construction has survived the various upheavals of Chinese history in good condition. The interior stairway is accessible and the upper storeys offer views over the old city's roofscape and canal system.
The surrounding hill has several small temples and stone inscriptions, and the combination of the pagoda, the wooded hillside, and the canal district below makes it a good vantage point for understanding the old city's geography. The Dashan Pagoda area is quieter than the Lu Xun quarter and the Shen Garden, and the walk through the surrounding residential streets gives a more ordinary and less curated sense of Shaoxing life.